Sinner harshly criticized by Italian tennis legend

Jannik Sinner’s choice to not participate in the 2025 Davis Cup Finals scheduled for next month has left Italian tennis legend Nicola Pietrangeli very disheartened.

Nicola Pietrangeli, now 92 years old, was the first Italian tennis player to win a Grand Slam title, capturing Roland Garros in 1959 and 1960. Before Sinner, only Adriano Panatta had been the sole Italian male to win one of the four Grand Slams.

With 4 Grand Slam titles, the latest being Wimbledon 2025, Sinner is considered the greatest Italian tennis player in history at just 24 years old, and he is expected to add many more major titles in the coming years.

Having praised the younger player multiple times, Pietrangeli last year called Sinner “the strongest player in the world,” comparing his dominance to that of legend Pete Sampras. However, he expressed dissatisfaction when Sinner announced he would skip the 2025 Davis Cup Finals (from November 18 to 23) to get an extra week of rest ahead of the 2026 Australian Open.

Speaking on Punto de Break, Pietrangeli did not hesitate to criticize: “It’s a severe blow to Italian sports. I don’t understand why it’s called a difficult decision – we are talking about playing tennis, not going to war. The Davis Cup is the highest honor, a goal every athlete should aspire to.”

He also lamented that the spirit of national dedication is increasingly being replaced by money: “It’s unfortunate that this generation is different from before. I just hope that during the Davis Cup, other players won’t leave to compete elsewhere. Today’s world is dominated by money, and people are putting their hearts aside.”

Supporters of Pietrangeli point to Sinner’s participation in the Six Kings Slam 2025 – an exhibition tournament where he defeated Carlos Alcaraz and earned 6 million USD – as clear evidence.

Sinner and Alcaraz have also confirmed they will play a friendly match in South Korea in January 2026, right before the Australian Open. Although the prize money hasn’t been disclosed, experts believe both will receive a huge payout.

On the other hand, those defending Sinner argue that skipping the Davis Cup is reasonable due to the tight schedule leaving him no rest during the season, and that the upcoming exhibition match could serve as an important warm-up for defending his title in Australia.